What a difference a weekend makes. On Friday I was thinking that I need to finish raking the leaves, and today people are asking when the groomers are going out (Dec 1 BTW). Friday night Moran area got 4", with town getting about 5" or so. Awoke this morning to almost 2 feet of the white stuff. 5"-6" in Epoufette,8"-12" Trout Lake, 12'-14" in Moran, and Iggy got 20"-24" of hammertime. It is 2:30 and the City plows still don't have everything cleaned up.

We should get another 1"-3" tonight, and this stuff is here to stay. The ground was just starting to freeze up, so some is melting from underneath, but it isn't going anywhere with the forecast temps not getting above freezing again. Small lakes are skimming over, and I have seen just a little shore ice on the big lake.

Winter is here - a month early again. Gonna be another huge winter? Strating to look like it.

Thanks for the UPdate, Neil! If you were here I might just have to buy you a nice cold road pop. Or better yet, maybe we should be there. Hope to get the sled home soon and drool over it until the first trip.

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I learned a lot while in college, but the one thing I will always remember is that there are 3 kinds of people in this world... Those who can count and those who can't!

Here is our camp SW of Rudyard Friday morning. Since last monday, 3" snow, ice, 2" more snow. Then Thursday night around 8". We got this cleaned up Friday, and it looked exactly the same this morning. Our 4-wheelers are done moving around the property except where we had already run. Got em stuck twice this AM trying to break trail.

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I was out in Epoufette last night, and the most snow is right in Iggy, to Castle Rock, at 20-24" 123 has about 18", and 16-18 in Moran, with it tapering out to 6" or so in Epoufette. The majority of all of this is lake effect, so it will be interesting to see what happens when things settle with the warmer weather on Monday. That R thing is in the forecast. That isn't a really bad thing as most of the ground has little to no frost. A little moisture will drive things down and make a good base... if we could groom it. Not sure what is going to happen if we have to wait another full week.

With heavy snow on the ground in the Upper Peninsula and parts of the northern Lower Peninsula, the Department of Natural Resources reminds snowmobilers that while state trails on private property remain closed to riding until Monday, Dec. 1, other areas are currently open for snowmobile use.

“We’re hearing from hunters and snowmobilers, wondering if they can legally use snowmobiles to reach their hunting camps or to just get out and ride earlier than normal,” said DNR District 1 law supervisor Lt. Peter Wright. “There are many areas where riding is allowed before Dec. 1, with additional exceptions in place for hunters trying to reach their camps.”

Prior to Dec. 1 each year, licensed and registered snowmobilers can legally use state lands, forest roads and snowmobile trails on public lands provided firearm deer season “quiet hours” are observed.

Firearm season quiet hours, which prohibit the use of off-road vehicles or snowmobiles on public hunting land from 7 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 5 p.m., are effective Nov. 15 through Nov. 30.

However, ORVs or snowmobiles may be used on public hunting lands during quiet hours to reach a hunting camp or permanent residence inaccessible by conventional motor vehicle. The quiet hours are also waived for an emergency, to retrieve a legally taken deer, or for hunters with disabilities.

“These exceptions to the quiet hours ensure that hunters are able to enjoy the firearm season, no matter what the weather brings,” Wright said. “Provided snowmobilers stay off state trails on private land, there are many legal options for snowmobile use before Dec. 1.”

The entire state snowmobile trail system is open to riders annually from Dec. 1 to March 31, to coincide with seasonal access leases for state trails that utilize private land.

For more information regarding snowmobile use and regulations, contact Lt. Wright at 906-228-6561Call: 906-228-6561 or visit www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling.